Hey everyone,
The subtitle of this thread could also be: Are There Arguments In Heaven?
I have a real-life "thorn in my side" that I have been wrestling with and praying over for many years. Today while I was praying at work, I truly believe God clearly said, "No," and of course, I wasn't happy about that at all.
My first instinct is usually to rebel: I told God, "Please tell me what I can and can't pray from now on, because I don't want to waste the time, energy, and tears like this ever again." But I believe God was saying that He wanted to use this to work on my character, and allow Him to work in a way I didn't expect. Sigh. Ok, God, your will be done. But I have always wondered, WHY does God work so hard on our character in the first place?
My conservative childhood church always told us that once we got to heaven, God made it so that we couldn't sin anymore. Great!!! But let me ask you this--what happens when people disagree in heaven?
Let's say there's a town hall in heaven that's being built, and the question comes up of what color it should be. "Paint it pink!" one group says cheerily. But no. Group #2 wants to paint it blue. Group #3 can't decide and wants to use several colors. And so on... Do you think there will be an argument? I would bet yes!
Here on earth, all other sorts of issues would come into play, such as, Which Group Is Donating More Money? Spiritual or not, all Christian organizations need money to function, and if the people who rely on them to feed their families want a job, donations are a huge consideration for most. But in heaven, money issues won't matter.
So what happens now when several people disagree? As a kid, I figured everyone would just cheerily yell out, "Pink it is! YAY pink!!! We love you, Lord!!!" because after all, it's HEAVEN. Perfect harmony, right? But somehow I don't think heaven is going to be One Long Eternal Episode of the Stepford Wives. God gave us personalities and free will for a reason, so I think people are still going to have very strong opinions, if not stronger, in the next life. I just think that now we will be able to solve our disagreements without sinning (after all, the Bible says you can be angry without sinning): no backbiting, no fist fights, no name-calling, no power trips.
Otherwise, why would God constantly be putting us "through the fire" in order to purify our character? If we are automatically transformed into a perfect, always-agreeable person the minute we step through heaven's gates, why would He even bother?
I would appreciate thoughts, passages, and experiences, please. And the reason I am posting this in Singles is: 1. I'm afraid of the Bible Forum (one of my character flaws that needs more work, obviously, is fear) and 2. As singles, we are going through a very unique character-shaping process just by being single.
Why do YOU feel that God works so hard on YOUR character?
The subtitle of this thread could also be: Are There Arguments In Heaven?
I have a real-life "thorn in my side" that I have been wrestling with and praying over for many years. Today while I was praying at work, I truly believe God clearly said, "No," and of course, I wasn't happy about that at all.
My first instinct is usually to rebel: I told God, "Please tell me what I can and can't pray from now on, because I don't want to waste the time, energy, and tears like this ever again." But I believe God was saying that He wanted to use this to work on my character, and allow Him to work in a way I didn't expect. Sigh. Ok, God, your will be done. But I have always wondered, WHY does God work so hard on our character in the first place?
My conservative childhood church always told us that once we got to heaven, God made it so that we couldn't sin anymore. Great!!! But let me ask you this--what happens when people disagree in heaven?
Let's say there's a town hall in heaven that's being built, and the question comes up of what color it should be. "Paint it pink!" one group says cheerily. But no. Group #2 wants to paint it blue. Group #3 can't decide and wants to use several colors. And so on... Do you think there will be an argument? I would bet yes!
Here on earth, all other sorts of issues would come into play, such as, Which Group Is Donating More Money? Spiritual or not, all Christian organizations need money to function, and if the people who rely on them to feed their families want a job, donations are a huge consideration for most. But in heaven, money issues won't matter.
So what happens now when several people disagree? As a kid, I figured everyone would just cheerily yell out, "Pink it is! YAY pink!!! We love you, Lord!!!" because after all, it's HEAVEN. Perfect harmony, right? But somehow I don't think heaven is going to be One Long Eternal Episode of the Stepford Wives. God gave us personalities and free will for a reason, so I think people are still going to have very strong opinions, if not stronger, in the next life. I just think that now we will be able to solve our disagreements without sinning (after all, the Bible says you can be angry without sinning): no backbiting, no fist fights, no name-calling, no power trips.
Otherwise, why would God constantly be putting us "through the fire" in order to purify our character? If we are automatically transformed into a perfect, always-agreeable person the minute we step through heaven's gates, why would He even bother?
I would appreciate thoughts, passages, and experiences, please. And the reason I am posting this in Singles is: 1. I'm afraid of the Bible Forum (one of my character flaws that needs more work, obviously, is fear) and 2. As singles, we are going through a very unique character-shaping process just by being single.
Why do YOU feel that God works so hard on YOUR character?